In South Florida, the sandwich is traditionally made on soft Cuban bread with a spread of yellow mustard and piled with ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese and thinly sliced pickles before being compressed and toasted.

But chefs aren’t afraid to put their own twist on the iconic sandwich.

So, as National Cuban Sandwich Day approaches on Aug. 23, we’re posing a “pressing” question to you, our readers, for the next item in the Best of South Florida Dining series:

Who makes the best Cuban sandwich in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties?

Submit your nomination below through Sunday, Aug. 18, and then we’ll ask you to vote on the top finalists. If you can’t view the form below, click here. 

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Thank you for participating! And don’t miss previous votes:

Top fried chicken spot

Top bagel spot

Top BBQ spot

Top donut spot

Top burger spot

Top pizza spot

Top spot for ice cream

For National Ice Cream Month, we turned to you, our readers, to find out which ice cream shops in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties cure your cravings for the frozen treat.

This tasty topic in our Best of South Florida Dining series inspired hundreds of ice cream enthusiasts to nominate their favorite spots. They also gave us some ice-cold insight into what tempts them when picking a flavor from the freezer.

The top five most-mentioned ice cream makers, in alphabetical order, were:

• Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor, Dania Beach
• Lily’s Handmade Ice Cream, Delray Beach
• Razzleberry’s Homemade Ice Cream, Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach
• Whit’s Frozen Custard, multiple locations
• Wilton Creamery, Wilton Manors

After readers churned out hundreds of votes, we can finally put the whipped cream and a cherry on top of the winner … so let’s raise a spoon to Lily’s Handmade Ice Cream!

The shop, at 4900 Linton Blvd., No. 4, is a family affair, with Ronen Gilinsky co-owning the business with sons Ori and Tal Gilinsky.

“Thank you from the bottom of our family’s heart for this incredible honor!” said Ori, who also holds the esteemed title of executive ice cream chef. “We will continue to give back to this incredible community and produce top-notch products for everyone to enjoy.”

The details

First of all, is Lily, the parlor’s namesake, a real person?

Yes! She is Ronen’s daughter and Ori and Tal’s sister, but “she is not involved in the day-to-day in the store and is off studying in school,” Ori said.

The Gilinsky family opened their store — complete with its retro pink-and-turquoise interior, checkerboard floors and neon sign — in September 2020, choosing Delray Beach because of its “small-town, local community feel,” Ori said.

“When we first started, we worked with a mentor who helped us open the shop and teach us the basics,” said Ori, whose foray into the culinary world began as a chef in the military. “(I spent) many hours in the kitchen experimenting and perfecting our classic flavors.”

And there are plenty of flavors to pick from — 20 to 22 on any given day — including no-sugar-added creations and vegan options with a coconut base.

Savor the flavors

“Our ice cream flavors are natural — and all made from scratch,” Ori said. “We use real fruit, never artificial colors or flavors.”

Consider Dusty Monkey with fresh banana, brown sugar and Biscoff cookies, or Mint Chip (Ori’s favorite) that includes spirulina (a consumable type of blue-green algae) extract for a naturally green color.

“The small kick of spirulina separates it from the others,” he said. “It is super fun in a pie, which we also make in-house and can customize any flavor for our guests’ liking.”

Belgian Chocolate is made of Belgian chocolate 54% dark, cocoa powder and sugar.

“The standard in the USA is just cocoa powder and chocolate flavor,” he said.

Living abroad with his family and traveling through Europe and beyond sparked ideas for Ori’s creative concoctions now being scooped at Lily’s, such as:

• Kinderella featuring Nutella with Kinder Bueno bars and brownies (Italy)
• Stroop Waffle (Amsterdam)
• Ube (Philippines)
• Baklava Cheesecake (Greece)

But the top seller since Lily’s opened nearly four years ago is named after somewhere closer to home: SOFLO Swamp. It’s a combination that “harmonizes the rich allure of Belgian chocolate-infused Oreos with the decadence of chocolate chips and the nostalgic crunch of Oreo chunks,” according to the description on the Lily’s website.

What else is on the menu?

Customers can order fruit sorbets, prepacked gourmet candy, ice cream sandwiches, sundaes, banana splits, floats, shakes, coffee drinks, ice cream cakes and pies, and homemade whipped cream, hot fudge and waffle cones.

Lily’s ice cream and sorbets are also available at more than 40 restaurants, country clubs, hotels and markets (such as KC Market in Hollywood and Boynton Beach) throughout South Florida.

All Lily’s ice cream is certified kosher by Sunshine State Kosher, which means it has undergone a rigorous inspection process and adheres to dietary laws outlined in Jewish tradition, including using kosher-certified ingredients, following specific preparation guidelines, and avoiding certain ingredients, according to the Gilinsky family.

“We are grateful to have the opportunity to give the kosher community a place to visit, hang out and have a true culinary experience,” Ori said. “The kosher sweets community is limited, as it takes a few extra steps, and we are happy to fill this void.”

What customers say

In her nomination form, Cece Blakemore of Delray Beach said she likes Lily’s chocolate ice cream — in a cup or cone — without toppings.

“It is completely small-batch, homemade ice cream that is deliciously different than any flavors you have had before,” she wrote. “It’s well worth the money it costs today for homemade ice cream!”

Meanwhile, Boca Raton resident Itai Baron wrote that the shop “has the best natural flavors, focuses on quality and has the most innovative recipe.” His favorite flavor is Dusty Monkey in a cup or cone.

“Ever since I tried Lily’s Handmade Ice Cream, I stopped eating at all the other spots,” he wrote. “Massive upgrade from every other ice cream shop.”

Katrina Ayoola, of Fort Lauderdale, praised the vegan options in her nomination form: “It’s some of the freshest, richest vegan ice cream I’ve ever tasted. The consistency is just like regular ice cream. It is incredibly good! And I love how they have top-tier ingredients!”

Lily’s Handmade Ice Cream is at 4900 Linton Blvd., No. 4, Delray Beach. Visit lilyshandmadeicecream.com or call 561-501-4301. 

And don’t forget to check out previous winners!

Top fried chicken spots

Top bagel spots

Top BBQ spots

Top donut spots

Top burger spots

Top pizza spots

There’s a reason this is National Ice Cream Month.

For the next installment in our “Best of South Florida Dining” series, we’re looking for the (ice) cream of the crop in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Where do you go when you’re craving a cold, creamy dessert? Or maybe you go for gelato or sorbet instead? We want to hear about them all.

Submit your nomination below for best ice cream spot in South Florida. We’ll take nominations until Sunday, July 21, then ask you to vote on the top nominees. If you can’t view the form below, click here.

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Thank you for participating! And don’t miss previous votes:

Top fried chicken spot

Top bagel spot

Top BBQ spot

Top donut spot

Top burger spot

Top pizza spot

We heard your many requests to put pizza to the test since our Best of South Florida Dining series began earlier this year. (Plus, as if we needed another reason, June 11 marked 135 years since, as the legend goes, the Pizza Margherita was named after Queen Margherita of Italy.)

So we decided to give passionate pizza fans what they’ve been craving — a battle royale among their beloved pie makers. Readers could nominate any style, whether it’s New York, Neapolitan, New Haven, Chicago or Detroit styles, or a completely out-of-the-pizza-box custom creation.

So who made the cut?

After tallying hundreds of nominations, here are the top six (because of a tie) most-submitted pizza joints, in alphabetical order:

• Antonio’s Pizza — Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale
• Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana  — Plantation and Delray Beach
• Little Mike’s Pizza — Plantation, Pembroke Pines and North Lauderdale
• Mr D’s Pizza — Plantation and Fort Lauderdale
• Sicilian Oven — multiple locations
• Tomasso’s Pizza & Subs — Boca Raton

In addition to the readers’ voting round, for this extra-special contest, we will also have a blind taste-test, putting slices straight into the mouths of a panel of judges, including South Florida food writer (and former Sun Sentinel columnist) Mike Mayo on his weekday streaming show. Tune in to “Mike Mayo’s Lunchbox” at 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 25, at Facebook.com/mikemayoslunchbox to find out which pizza place the judges pick.

Deep-dish details

This time around, we also asked readers to give us all those deep-dish details, including favorite part of a pie, best crust and topping preferences.

The results?

• More than 50% said they want “the complete balance” of crust, sauce, cheese and toppings when it comes to their pizza of choice.
• Predictably, thin-crust, N.Y.-style pizza was voted No. 1 by 69% of nominators.
• When it comes to toppings, pepperoni was a split decision among fans, with 33% saying hold it while 30% are all in.
• How about charred crust? “It’s the best,” according to 42% of nominators who voted.

Plantation resident Jessica Duckett is on Team Charred Crust, which is one reason she nominated Frank Pepe.

“They have the most freshest-tasting ingredients and the thinnest, crispiest crust,” she wrote in her form. “The coal fire gives the pizzas the most authentic flavors.”

Antonio’s fan Alexandra Duffy, of Dania Beach, mentioned their pizza’s consistency along with a crust that’s “flavorful and crispy — never soggy.”

“Always served hot and fresh, with the toppings arranged perfectly and not sparsely,” she wrote. “Try the eggplant topping. Also, Antonio’s pizza sausage is excellent — not fatty or gristly.”

Evan Flores, of Pembroke Pines, picked Little Mike’s because “every bite reminds me a little bit of New York City,” he said.

“Between the pizza and the wings, I consider this place perfection and a close second to heaven,” he wrote in his nomination form. “No matter what I order, I can never go wrong.”

Boca Raton resident Jennifer Schiavone’s love of Tomasso’s pizza — with its ample layer of gooey cheese — inspired her to submit a nomination.

“It’s always consistently good, fresh and the sauce isn’t bitter,” she wrote. “Also the pizza actually has a good amount of cheese without having to order extra.”

Fort Lauderdale’s John Gioscia said he enjoys Sicilian Oven’s “traditional thin-style Sicilian pizza.”

“Everything is fresh — vegetables and condiments,” he said. “The pizza pie is so nice and fresh and thin.”

Meanwhile, Kelsey Drake of Davie called Mr D’s “a community staple with amazing pizza.”

She wrote: “The crust is just the right amount of crispy and the flavor is unmatched.”

Ready to vote?

Now it’s your turn to pick the winner! Fill out the form below and vote for your favorite. You have until midnight on Sunday, June 23, to make your voice heard. (If you can’t see the form, click here.)

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Thank you for participating! And don’t miss previous votes:

Top fried chicken spot

Top bagel spot

Top BBQ spot

Top donut spot

Top burger spot

Any way you slice it, there is no shortage of options here — whether you prefer New York style, Detroit style, Chicago deep dish, or even (gasp) Hawaiian.

So we’re on a hunt for South Florida’s favorite pie and need you to submit your picks. We’ll take nominations through Sunday, June 16, then ask you to vote for the top five.

Think this will be just another popularity contest? Not exactly. We’re partnering up for a blind taste-test with a panel of judges, including South Florida food writer (and former Sun Sentinel columnist) Mike Mayo, on his weekday streaming show, “Mike Mayo’s Lunchbox.”

Submit your nomination in the form below. Can’t see it? Click here.

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Thank you for participating! And don’t miss previous votes:

• Top fried chicken spots
• Top bagel spots
• Top BBQ spots
• Top donut spots
• Top burger spot

As May is National Hamburger Month, we thought it the perfect time to grill our readers about their favorite go-to burger spots for the next Best of South Florida Dining series.

With so many options out there, we knew asking for nominees in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties could be a challenge. But once again, readers were up to the beefy task, letting us know what fires up their taste buds.

Here are the top-five, flame-grilled finalists, in alphabetical order:

• BRGR Stop (Fort Lauderdale, Coconut Creek)
• Charm City Burger Co. (Deerfield Beach)
• Cheffrey Eats (food truck)
• Gilbert’s 17th St. Grill (Fort Lauderdale)
• Le Tub (Hollywood)

“Juicy” was the most-mentioned description among all nominees, not surprisingly. Everyone appreciates a burger that makes them reach for a napkin at first bite. But it’s also clear that South Florida burger fans factor in the three Fs when picking their faves: freshness, flavor and fun!

Our readers love to wrap their hands around a creatively concocted — and named — burger, whether it’s a staple on the menu or a flavor of the month.

Reader Ian Koolik nominated Cheffrey Eats, a food truck found at Barrel of Monks Brewing in Boca Raton, because “nothing tops” the Barnyard Burger.

“Beef patty, fried chicken sandwich, bacon and cheese. It’s so good I don’t care if you tell my cardiologist!” the Boca Raton resident wrote.

Rolan Sanchez, of Coconut Creek, stops for BRGR Stop’s Nuthin But Truffle, calling it “the best burger EVER!!”

“The meat is cooked to perfection, juicy and tender just the way you like it,” he wrote in his nomination form. “The incredible white truffle aioli adds a magical touch, and the blend of gruyère and white cheddar creates a special black truffle-infused cheese, perfectly complemented by fresh portobello mushrooms.”

The Volcano burger prompted Coral Springs resident Donald Macomber to nominate Charm City: “The pickled jalapeños, pepperjack cheese, and the Volcano and Charm sauces, makes my mouth water as I write this.”

Robert Alvarez, of Fort Lauderdale, nominated Gilbert’s because “it’s hard to go wrong ordering any burger at Gilbert’s.”

“A burger on their daily special menu will have both your mouth watering and your taste buds on a flavor roller coaster,” he wrote. “That being said, The Havarti is my go-to. The garlic-buttered English muffin bun is a simple twist on an already great burger patty that always puts a smile on my face!”

Plantation resident Heather Punko called Le Tub “a quirky, casual slice of paradise” serving up “sunset views on the water, frozen piña colada, and a burger so big and juicy you need both hands.”

“Classic and made to perfection,” she wrote about The Original (the only burger on Le Tub’s menu). “You may think you want to share one, but before you know it you’ve eaten the whole thing because it’s just that good. The char, the cheese, the bun, the juicy beef… I mean yum!”

Now it’s your turn to pick the winner! Fill out the form below and vote for your favorite. You have until Sunday, May 26, to make your voice heard. (If you can’t see the form, click here.)

View Terms of Service | Read our full Privacy Policy

Thank you for participating! And don’t miss previous votes:

Top fried chicken spots

Top bagel spots

Top BBQ spots

Top donut spots

The funny Homer Simpson catchphrase, usually uttered when a box of pink donuts is plopped down in front of him, is mighty fitting right about now. We received hundreds of votes for the best donut spot in our latest Best of South Florida Dining series — proof that you, our readers, can relate to the cartoon dad’s passion for the sweetest of treats.

During the nomination round, we asked for the “hole” truth about your favorite go-to donut makers in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. And your responses gushed about everything from traditional flavors and freshness factor to gourmet toppings and decadent fillings.

The five deep-fried finalists who emerged with the most nominations were, in alphabetical order:

• Bake Shack (Dania Beach)
• Max’d Out Donuts (North Miami Beach)
• Mojo Donuts (multiple locations)
• The Dandee Donut Factory (multiple locations)
• The Hollywood Donut Factory (Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale)

So we dusted the powdered sugar off your votes, tabulated them, and now we’re ready to announce that our readers are feeling fine … and Dandee!

Yes, The Dandee Donut Factory, which offers more than 50 flavors 24/7 at its three Broward County locations, has arisen as the freshly baked fan favorite.

“We are absolutely thrilled!” said David Zion, one of Dandee’s primary partners and operating investor. “We’ve been blessed to have an incredibly loyal team serving the best customers for generations now, and we are so grateful for their support.”

The details

Dandee has been satisfying South Florida’s donut cravings since the early 1980s when a couple of friends opened its first two locations. Soon after, Zion said, “locals and tourists from all over were lining up to get what some began to describe as ‘The World’s Best Donuts.'”

But it was just a dozen years ago (appropriately enough), when another pair of friends got a tip from an associate that Dandee’s owners might be interested in selling the business. That’s when Zion and business partner David Groom, who were visiting from Boston, stopped into Dandee for a taste.

After one bite, they said they knew it was a good investment.

Since then, they have been operating the location in Deerfield Beach and, in 2019, opened the Margate store with a drive-through window. (Back in Boston, they recently opened a Dandee on the North Shore). Dandee partner/part-owner Chris Brady manages the Pompano Beach location, while overseeing all of the Florida stores.

An old-fashioned process

“Wholesome ingredients and a lot of love,” Zion said, are the basis for every batch, made from recipes that have been perfected over 40 years.

“We mix our fresh dough on-site from scratch every day, then hand-roll and cut each donut,” he said. “We bake and finish our donuts in small batches, with very high standards, ensuring that each donut has the perfect amount of frosting and toppings.”

Dandee’s donut roster seems to have every flavor angle covered. Take a spin on the donut carousel on the Dandee Donuts website to flip through more than 50 varieties.

In the mood for something different? You’ll find creations such as Snickers, peanut butter & jelly, Mounds, maple bacon, blueberry crunch, Oreo and Smores.

Looking for something traditional to dunk? They have you covered with old-fashioned sugar, lemon, white coconut, double chocolate with sprinkles, chocolate-glazed and Boston cream, among others.

But there’s one flavor that reigns supreme: the best-selling glazed sour cream.

“It really isn’t a sour cream flavor,” Zion said. “The glazed sour cream has a light golden brown exterior with a soft, moist cake inside that tastes more like vanilla with a hint of caramel. The sweet crunchy glaze has the perfect crunch, and each bite just melts in your mouth.”

What customers say

Fort Lauderdale resident Teresa Coldwell deemed the glazed sour cream donut “perfectly balanced” in her vote.

“(It) starts with a slight crunch from the generous glaze then the piquant of the sour cream melds with the sweetness of the glaze to satisfy any donut craving,” she wrote.

Pompano Beach resident Darlene Moppert wanted us to know that it’s hard for her to resist a Dandee donut.

“Fresh-made throughout the day on-site,” she wrote in her voting form. “Even when we go to high-end restaurants for dinner, we often opt to just pick up Dandee donuts on the way home for dessert.”

Other Dandee fans mentioned the fresh selection, quality ingredients and large size of the donuts.

“Dandee Donuts are the absolute best!” wrote Diane Persten, of Deerfield Beach. “Many donut shops simply make glazed donuts and throw some topping on top to call them ‘gourmet.’ Dandee Donuts has all of the flavors INSIDE the donut batter where they belong … YUM!!!”

More than donuts

All three of Dandee’s Broward restaurants also serve a full menu of cooked-to-order, classic diner breakfast items throughout the day, including biscuits and gravy, omelets, pancakes, french toast, muffins, bagels and egg sandwiches.

“All of our Florida restaurants are open 24/7, and for decades, Dandee has been the go-to favorite for early birds and night owls,” Zion said. “College students, folks out enjoying late-night entertainment, or those working the late or early shift all know that Dandee is the place to be.”

For more information, go to dandeedonuts.com.

It certainly wasn’t a topic that was glazed over by fans of the sweet confection. We received several hundred nominations of favorite donut shops throughout Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties — and now we have the finalists!

The top-five, most-nominated donut makers, in alphabetical order, are:

• Bake Shack (Dania Beach)
• Max’d Out Donuts (North Miami Beach)
• Mojo Donuts (multiple locations)
• The Dandee Donut Factory (multiple locations)
• The Hollywood Donut Factory (Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale)

While donut lovers made it clear that size and freshness matter, they also like choices by the dozen — or more!

On the traditional side, readers singled out sour cream, Boston cream, blueberry and original glazed.

In her nomination form for Dandee, Coral Springs resident Meloney Roy wrote: “Oh my goodness. The blueberry donut is so delicious. I have even had it so fresh that it is still warm. It literally melts in your mouth.”

Regarding the lineup at Max’d Out Donuts, North Miami Beach’s Cathy Hunt called the Boston cream “pure heaven.”

“The custard is as rich as the eclairs in French bakeries, she wrote. “The thick chocolate on top is superior to any other donut shop. Each donut is decorated beautifully.”

Others said they look forward to seasonal and gourmet flavors such as maple bacon, Key lime pie, Oreo, and Death by Chocolate, or the vegan options offered at some shops.

According to Davie resident Victoria Gillette’s nomination form, Mojo has the “most amazing and creative delicious donuts I’ve ever had.”

She adds: “They have donuts for everyone. Vegan, gluten-free and every other kind under the sun,”

Patrick Kelly, of Fort Lauderdale, let us know that Hollywood Donut Factory has made him a “donutaholic.”

“This place keeps me addicted. The biggest, best drug of choice,” he wrote.

It turns out that texture, too, is a big deal among readers choosing a favorite donut — whether it’s moist cake, crunchy toppings, creamy centers, or “the softest donuts in the world,” as Sunrise resident Ezra Meza lauded when nominating Bake Shack.

Now it’s your turn to pick the winner! Fill out the form below and vote for your favorite. You have until Sunday, April 28. (If you can’t see the form, click here.)

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Whether it’s the classic glazed, old-fashioned, jelly-filled, or something more adventurous, we’re looking for the “hole” truth! Help us find the best donuts in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties by submitting your nomination with the form below (or, if you can’t see it, at this link).

We’ll take nominations through Sunday, April 21, then tally them up and let you know when it’s time to vote for the best.

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Thank you for participating! And don’t miss previous votes:

Top fried chicken spots.

Top bagel spots.

Top BBQ spots.

For the third installment in our Best of South Florida Dining series, readers stepped up by the hundreds this month to nominate and vote for what they consider the best BBQ in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. We were looking for any style that suited their craving — whether it’s slathered in sauce, massaged with dry rub, or a completely different take on the classics.

The top five most-nominated places, in alphabetical order, were:

• Apocalypse BBQ (Miami)
• Lickie Stickie BBQ (Sunrise)
• Mistah Lee’s Smokin’ Good BBQ (food truck)
• Pigsty BBQ (Boynton Beach)
• Tom Jenkins’ BBQ (Fort Lauderdale)

And now, the winner is no longer a mystery … it’s Mistah Lee’s!

The details

Owner and executive pitmaster Lee Stransky’s smoked specialties hit the spot among barbecue lovers who have been lining up at his food truck since it started rolling into events throughout South Florida two years ago.

The Smokin’ Don, as Stransky calls himself, and his executive chef Reiss Schweiger first prepare, trim, season and smoke all of their meats on smokers in a commissary kitchen in Delray Beach’s Lake Ida Plaza.

Stransky, a South Florida native, said he is ecstatic that readers voted for his barbecue, which he has worked to perfect by combining skills and knowledge gained through the years.

“This is a dream come true. The people have spoken, and their taste buds don’t lie,” he said. “This is possibly the greatest feeling I could have ever imagined.”

Now 34, Stransky said his passion for smoked barbecue “kicked in” when he was in his mid-20s.

“I would stop at any barbecue joint I could find, whether it was a smoker and family on the side of the road, or a mom-and-pop restaurant. If it was barbecue, I wanted it,” he said.

Then came a turning point when his friends Rob and Joe Buto gave him one of their old Char-Griller Offset smokers.

“It was one of the greatest gifts given to me because from that day on, a new future grand champion pitmaster was born,” Stransky said. “I studied barbecue day in and day out, taking private smoke courses with some of the greatest pitmasters in the U.S., and reading multiple books on the different styles of barbecue and their techniques.”

What’s on the menu?

To start, Stransky said there are  four items that keep hungry customers coming back for more: Mac N Cheese Bowls, a brisket sandwich (try it “Lee’s way” with slaw and pickles on top), a pulled pork sandwich and a sliced brisket platter served with two sides.

“When you talk about surprises here at my food truck, customers go crazy and call me every week asking for my mouthwatering 16-day, in-house brined pastrami that is then smoked for 12 hours,” he said.

Order it as a sandwich and he’ll pile on a half-pound of moist pastrami for you.

Customers “tell me every single time that it feels like they are eating at Katz’s Deli in New York City,” Stransky said.

Mistah Lee’s brisket (which can be made into a Mac N Cheese Bowl) is so popular that it’s usually the first menu item to sell out.

“His brisket sandwich is slap-yo-mama good and his ribs are fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth delicious,” Lauderhill resident Rose Merrick wrote in her nomination form. “He takes great pride in the meats he serves.”

Reader Adam Rittersporn, of Fort Lauderdale, voted for Mistah Lee’s because everything Stransky makes is “amazing,” he said. “If I had to pick a favorite, it’d be their brisket and ribs, but you really can’t go wrong with anything you get.”

Added Parkland resident Sarah Tannen: “Fantastic barbecue! Great quality and tasting barbecue, but the passion that Lee puts into his prep is by far what makes his barbecue a winner!” she wrote. “Truly loves what he does, but the taste is by far the best.”

And it’s not all about the meat. Mistah Lee’s sides are vegetarian.

“I like to make sure that everyone from gluten-free to vegetarian can enjoy my food,” Stransky said. “From my gourmet four-cheese Mac N Cheese to my Sticky Cornbread (our cornbread topped off with our famous sticky sauce), and from my collard greens to my true backyard Southern Potato Salad, you just can’t get enough of it all.”

Coconut Creek resident Adrienne Puglisi gushed about the sides when casting her vote.

“Best collard greens I’ve ever eaten … Baked beans are sweet (and) thick, coleslaw is light and fresh … homemade mac n cheese is good too (if you can get any before they sell out). Also love the homemade sauces,” she said.

Mistah Lee’s has already taken home several awards this year, including Grand Champion and Best Brisket at the St. Pete Bacon & BBQ Festival in St. Petersburg and Judges Choice in The Red Meat Lovers Club Best Sandwich of South Florida cook-off competition.

Stransky is looking forward to opening a restaurant this summer at Melrose Shoppes, 8240 S. State 7, Suite 250, in Boynton Beach. But don’t worry, his food truck will still be rolling into a city near you.

“The truck will never stop running because that’s my workhorse and got me where I am today,” he said.

Currently, the food truck is closed on Sundays and Mondays, but Stransky said he’s usually booked at Tasty Tuesday West Boca Raton at Sunset Cove Amphitheater and Wellington Food Trucks & Live Music on Thursdays, and he spends select Fridays at Fluffy’s Foodie Food Truck Fridays in Coconut Creek and Food Truck Frenzy in Pompano Beach.

Mistah Lee’s also sets up every third Thursday of each month at Rhythm + Vine, 401 NE Fifth Terrace, in Fort Lauderdale.

Visit Facebook.com/mistahleessmokingoodbbq to check out the food truck’s schedule every week.